Improvement in thill-couplings



l. MNRTIN.

Thill-Couplings.

Patented March 25,1873.

bio 137,143.

AM PH DTO-UTHOGRAPHIC ca NX OSBURVEI? PRO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MARTIN, OF HENRY CITY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENTQIN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Spcclficationforming part of Letters Patent No. 137,143, dated March 25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MARTIN, of Henry City, in the county of Marshall and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thill-Ooupling, of which the following is a specification The invention consists in the improvement of thill-couplin gs, as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

I n the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents an under-side view of the coupling, thill, and axle. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 taken on the line m 00.

Similar. letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the thill or pole of the vehicle. B is the draft-iron attached thereto by bolts 0 in the usual manner. D is a ball upon the end of the draft-iron, forming a part thereof with a central hole through it for the draft-bolt running at right angles to the thill or pole. E

represents the eye or draft-jack of the coupling, consisting of two lugs, F F, attached to and forming part of the clip G, as seen in Fig. 2. The inner sides of these lugs F F are made concave or hemispherical to correspond with the form of the ball D, and are open on the under side so that the ball can be introduced, as seen in Fig. 1. H is the draft-bolt, which passes laterally through the lugs F F and through the ball, as seen in Fig. 1. I is the axle.

This construction allows of a vertical movement of the thill or pole iron between the lugs.

It will be seen that in this coupling the wearing-surtace is very large and that it is not likely to get loose so that it can rattle. It is, in fact, a noiseless as well as a durable coupling.

I am aware of the Rice ball-coupling; but it is complicated, expensive, and a box-coupling. I claim a simple countersunk jaw-coupling with the horizontal bolt passing through, so that when it wears loose the slightest turn of the bolt-nut makes the coupling tight and firm. It is easier to shift and reshift than Rices, because it drops into place from the bottom. It can be made at the cost of fifty cents per set, while Rices will cost seventy-five cents to one dollar; hence it furnishes to the public a simpler, more convenient, and cheaper coupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The described means for coupling a draftiron ball to an axle-clip, consisting of openbottomed lug F and bolt H passing through said lug and ball at right angles to thill, as set forth.

JOHN MARTIN.

Witnesses:

PELEG S. PERLEY, JAcoB J. SKINKLE. 

